follow his predecessor Ottiwell Simmons into the House of Assembly.

The BIU boss will contest the Hamilton East by-election for the Progressive Labour Party, as predicted by The Royal Gazette .

Mr. Burgess said he hoped to hang on to his leadership of the union -- whose elections will be held in March -- as well as win the by-election.

And he pledged not to take a Shadow Ministry -- or a Ministry if the PLP were to form a Government.

Mr. Burgess said there was no conflict in being an MP and leader of the Island's biggest union.

He added: "There is no conflict -- there is no way I would take a Ministry post or a Shadow Ministry post. That would be a conflict.'' Mr. Burgess said he had been courted by the constituency branch for some time and had already started canvassing.

He added: "I was asked and after weighing all the pros and cons, I decided I would run for the PLP. I feel that I have something I can offer to the constituents of Hamilton East.'' Mr. Burgess said his current concerns were health and safety -- particularly the security of senior citizens, women and children.

He added: "It's a very sad occasion for this Country to have a senior citizen murdered in their own home.

"No-one in this country should have to live in fear or walk the streets in fear.'' Mr. Burgess added that he hoped to see more members of the trades union movement fight for a seat in the House.

He said: "Of the working population, 90 percent are worker-type people and five percent are CEOs and management types.

"These management types are well represented in the House of Assembly -- the worker type, not so.'' Father-of-two Mr. Burgess, who also has two foster children, lives in Hamilton Parish, regarded as important in the area.

He is a former hotel group general manager, who worked as a barman at the Hamilton Princess prior to becoming BIU leader.

Mr. Burgess fought the same seat in 1989, coming last out of five candidates.

Winners then were Gilbert Darrell of the National Liberal Party and Haskins Davis of the ruling United Bermuda Party.

But in 1993, the PLP team of Renee Webb and Trevor Woolridge took both seats, beating Francis Furbert, likely to stand again, and Wendell Hollis of the UBP into third and fourth place respectively.

And Mr. Burgess, as leader of the BIU, has developed a higher public profile since his first crack at a seat in Parliament.

The vacancy was caused by the resignation of Mr. Woolridge, who quit the party late last year after being convicted of a sex assault on a woman parishioner, although he continued to sit as an Independent.

The conviction was later quashed on appeal in Supreme Court -- but lawyer Saul Froomkin, who acted for the woman in the case, is to take that decision to the Court of Appeal.

Mr. Woolridge's AME church has since transferred him to Philadelphia and he quit politics at the end of last year.

PLP leader Jennifer Smith said Mr. Burgess' leadership of the BIU, which he took over in March after Mr. Simmons retired, "has been filled with distinction, demonstrating steady and sure helmsmanship''.

Sitting Hamilton East MP Renee Webb added: "Mr. Burgess is a man of the people and very well known throughout Hamilton Parish as well as throughout Bermuda.'' She said the constituency shared the concerns of the rest of the Island over violence, care of the elderly and health and social services provision, even where the issues did not affect the largely middle-class constituency.

And Ms Webb predicted: "The election in Hamilton East, as well as throughout the country is going to be fought on the doorsteps.''